Keigo Oyamada, better known as Cornelius, is a bit of a wizard. He uses the studio instead of a wand, and the effects he conjures up span universes. The sounds blend genre, defy label, and tickle the ear. And he's been doing it for decades. His new record, Dream in Dream, is out today.
"Change and Vanish" and "Too Pure" are anchored by guitar-picking in spots, with the flurry of sounds around the stringed instrument a bit more understated than older fans might have expected. That said, "All Things Must Past" clatters and sputters like a techno number being disassembled in front of us on a some kind of odd, reverse assembly-line. That one is a real highlight here, as is "Mirage", a ruminative number that travels across somewhat serene landscapes.
Cornelius relies on electronics. That's the same here, but there's an organic conhesiveness that's unlike that of the work of other experimental or electronic artists. Dream in Dream is bucolic in spots, propulsive -- on its own terms -- in others. The whole album conjures up a mood that seems to be punctuated by bursts of creative noise, or interpolations of other styles. Overall though, the record works as a singular listen, one that requires attention, and which rewards with a fun playfulness that's not too silly. Cornelius has always had a clever and light touch.
Dream in Dream by Cornelius is out today.
[Photo: Christina Craft]